It's finally here. After the 2022 final 1,269 days ago, the 2026 FIFA World Cup begins today with two matches in Mexico, one featuring one of the host nations in the biggest installment of the globe's largest sporting event.
A lot has changed since Lionel Messi and Argentina hoisted the trophy in Qatar. The World Cup now fields 48 teams instead of 32 across three countries instead of just one. A third-place finish in one of the 12 groups can now be enough to get through to the knockout stage. Mexico will host 13 games across three cities throughout the tournament, with the legendary Estadio Azteca welcoming the home team in today's opener.
El Tri is a regular at the World Cup but didn't make it out of the group stage in 2022, the first time since 1978 they failed to reach the knockouts. They're hosting for the first time since 1986, the last time they reached the quarterfinals. First on their schedule is South Africa, which won its tune-up friendly June 6 but otherwise has gone winless in 2026, starting with a 2-1 defeat to Cameroon in the AFCON Round of 16.
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